Turkey

With its roots dating back to the Ottoman Empire, Turkish cuisine is a riot of color and flavors. Specialities include köfte (balls or patties of ground beef or lamb), eggplant-based dishes, and börek, delicious savory pastries usually filled with minced meat or spinach and cheese. Street food is very popular and yoghurt accompanies pretty much everything – meat, vegetables, or simply rice or bread.

LAMB KÖFTE

Serves 4

2 lb (900g) minced lamb 2 red onions, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp dried chilli flakes 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp fresh parsley Salt and pepper Olive oil

TABBOULEH

Serves 4

3 ½ oz (100g) bulgur wheat 13 ½ fl oz (400ml) water 1 tsp salt 1 ¾ oz (50g) fresh parsley, chopped 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped 2 large tomatoes, chopped 4 scallions (spring onions), chopped 1 lemon, juiced ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped Grating of nutmeg Extra virgin olive oil Popular all across the Middle East, these delicious, spiced meat kebabs are perfect stuffed into warm flatbreads.

1 Preheat the grill, or heat a griddle pan, and soak eight bamboo skewers in water.

2 Place the minced lamb in a bowl with the chopped onion, crushed garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, parsley and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well with clean hands.

3 Split the mixture equally into 12 balls and squeeze them around the bamboo skewers to form rough sausage shapes.

4 Brush with oil and grill or griddle until golden brown all over and completely cooked through.

Don’t be surprised at the amount of parsley in this classic Middle Eastern dish. It is essentially a spiced parsley salad rather than a bulgur wheat one.

1 Rinse the bulgur wheat in cold water until it runs clear.

2 Bring the water to the boil and add the bulgur wheat and salt, turn down to a simmer and leave for around 15 minutes. Drain, then allow to stand.

3 Meanwhile, remove the thicker stalks from all the herbs. Chop the parsley, mint, tomatoes and scallions. Add to the bulgur wheat along with the lemon juice and spices. Season to taste and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.